Home Park Now or Then ?

[jerryatricjanner]

Quite happy to sit now as retirement looms but for me it is no comparison with a Home Park matchday pre horseshoe. The freedom to move from one area to another, to change ends to where we were attacking or to give the opposition bench some stick, the smell of linament(always remember Duncan Neale’s massive shiny thighs lol), cigarette smoke and bovril, being able to turn up with mates and potd and be together with no problem, prematch singing from fans without the earsplitting racket we endure now, etc etc. Yes, as an older fart the new ground is ok but the match day experience and general atmosphere isn’t what it was. Maybe a bit of nostalgia clouding my judgement but it was great to be able to just turn up, pay at the turnstile, stand where you wanted with who you wanted, move where you wanted etc. Where are the Umbrella Vis and Noddys these days? Has all seating been largely responsible for the demise of characters like them?

 

[adegreenarmy]

I have very fond memories of Home Park in the seventies - games against Chelsea and Fulham stand out in my mind - and the cup run in 84. The new ground has less atmosphere but you can see the whole match in some comfort. However, the thing I miss most is the old pasties. They were a big part of the whole day and I haven't tasted one to match them in the last thirty years.

 

[mervyn]

Like any 72year old i’m up for a bit of nostalgia, but I think there are a lot of rose tinted specs here. Until my mid thirties I visited London and South East clubs, and I remember mainly;

Pitches which made hoof football inevitable
Food which was mainly inedible
Men only environment, far too intimidating for women and young families
Poor toilet facilities. A ‘hot leg’ in the shed end at Chelsea was a regular occurrence
Poor vision, unless you were above average height
A fair chance of being caught up in the punch-ups
Football where the emphasis was on the physical rather than technique
Clothes which ponged of cigarettes after the game
The most blatant racism of any social environment

To give a balance, yes there are some things I miss. Amongst non-Neanderthal fans who weren’t segregated there were some interesting conversations to be had comparing clubs and teams. I feel the banter used to be sharper in those days, and yes, there seemed to be more characters, on and off the pitch. But would I want a return to those days? Never.

 

[metroace]

Mervyn, if you want to pinch grün with the umlaut for your signature, be my guest.

 

[mervyn]

Thank you

 

[onthegreen]

Brass bands marching around the pitch
Police sitting on wooden seats
Not seeing the players until 10 to 3
Memories

 

[MarkMatthews]

Old one, no question. Was really excited when the new stands were going up in 2001, but that has taken away alot of enjoyable times.

Imagine the Trigger goal vs QPR, and Hartley late winner v Pompey in the old ground!

Old ground all day long!

And the old away grounds, all unique.

Terraces - crowd surges, free to jump around randomly when scoring, stand where you want.

Kids today don't know what they are missing

It's not just the kids. Pretty much nobody under the age of 30 will remember Home Park as it was.

I’m 28 and remember it clearly, I would guess it’s more likely to be those under 24/25 where most won’t remember the stadium pre Development. That said I’m not old enough to remember the popular side being terracing or the Spion Kop being railway sleepers.

 

[Pilgrims Progress]

Completely agree gerryatricjanner freedom of movement was important especially as you could avoid
loudmouth people,like I have two rows behind me now. I'm starting my 71st season and i'm happy sitting down but it's not quite the same, I have stood in all parts of the ground over the years but my
favourite spot was the mayflower terrace before the seating and boxes behind there were more fans more atmosphere which was terrifying to opposing players, managers and the fans very often let the board know their feelings, you could also pay to transfer from one part of the ground to another
through internal turnstiles. finally no segregation and a lot of banter with away fans, better times
happier days.

 

[cheshiregreen]

I am pretty biased I guess but in my time the atmosphere in the Waiters promotion season 74/5 was unrivalled. The 28,000 crowd v Blackburn etc created noise that isn't really repeated in the modern stadia.

I wasn't able to be at Colchester play off game in Warnock's time or when Hartley put Pompey to bed but those mass crowds in the mid 70s take some beating in my view.

 

[MarkMatthews]

Can anyone remember what year the (pre phase 1) plastic seats were put on the popular side? (And for that matter when conventional terracing replaced the railway sleepers on the Spion Kop and for that matter, why did the club stop referring to that part of the ground as the Spion Kop?) As even post development it still seems a distinct, Semi separated part of the ground, due to the large emergency entrance.

Wasn’t it the supporters who paid for the Lyndhurst to have the roof put over it sometime in the 60s? Or have I just dreamt that ?!

Finally to answer the question definitely Home Park then for me, of the mid- late 90s and I wish I could have experienced it before even those moderations. Pleased I stayed on the Mayflower until they had to put temporary seats in the mif 00s though, to prolong the genuine, old school experience!

 

[Knibbsworth]

The old Devonport was so much louder than it is now. I'd take the old one for atmosphere in a heartbeat.

 

[Balham Green]

I am pretty biased I guess but in my time the atmosphere in the Waiters promotion season 74/5 was unrivalled. The 28,000 crowd v Blackburn etc created noise that isn't really repeated in the modern stadia.

I wasn't able to be at Colchester play off game in Warnock's time or when Hartley put Pompey to bed but those mass crowds in the mid 70s take some beating in my view.

38000 for Everton same season.

 

[jerryatricjanner]

I am pretty biased I guess but in my time the atmosphere in the Waiters promotion season 74/5 was unrivalled. The 28,000 crowd v Blackburn etc created noise that isn't really repeated in the modern stadia.

I wasn't able to be at Colchester play off game in Warnock's time or when Hartley put Pompey to bed but those mass crowds in the mid 70s take some beating in my view.

38000 for Everton same season.

38,000 yes, but not the atmosphere generated by the Waiter's promotion season against Blackburn, Colchester when we clinched promotion or in later times the Bristol City promotion decider. Even the Warnock play off final clincher against Colchester generated a great atmosphere with a crowd a good bit less than half the Everton attendance. The Everton game was more an occasion.

 

[IJN]

I loved those big old games, but up there without a doubt was the Hartley/Pompey game. Perhaps it was post 'troubles' but the only time I've been emotional at an Argyle game was v Colchester and v Pompey.

I agree with 'Jerry' the Everton game was an occasion.

 

[Balham Green]

I am pretty biased I guess but in my time the atmosphere in the Waiters promotion season 74/5 was unrivalled. The 28,000 crowd v Blackburn etc created noise that isn't really repeated in the modern stadia.

I wasn't able to be at Colchester play off game in Warnock's time or when Hartley put Pompey to bed but those mass crowds in the mid 70s take some beating in my view.

38000 for Everton same season.

38,000 yes, but not the atmosphere generated by the Waiter's promotion season against Blackburn, Colchester when we clinched promotion or in later times the Bristol City promotion decider. Even the Warnock play off final clincher against Colchester generated a great atmosphere with a crowd a good bit less than half the Everton attendance. The Everton game was more an occasion.

The Everton game was in Waiters promotion season. I remember a great atmosphere. Was commented on by Barry Davies on m.of. day.